Auto Care & Maintenance Advice

Cooling System Plays A Crucial Role In the Maintenance of Your Vehicle

2008-01-29T14:00:00.001-08:00

Throughout my career of helping sick cars get well, I've notice that customers pay particular attention to such items as brakes and tires. While Thai's all well and good, I've found that less numbers of people pay close attention to their vehicle's cooling system and that can be a major and costly mistake.

Your vehicle's cooling system plays just as crucial a role in the proper operation and maintenance of your vehicle as its engine, transmission or suspension system. Therefore, it's important that you take the time to check your cooling system periodically or bring it here to the Auto Clinic for us to check. Right now is an especially good time to have your vehicle's cooling system checked before the really hot weather arrives.

Often, people don't even think about their car's cooling system until they smell a hot, "chemical-type" burning coming from underneath the hood. This is usually the result of a radiator leak. Antifreeze/coolant drips out onto the hot parts of the engine (such as parts of the exhaust system). The quick evaporation of the antifreeze/coolant can cause this kind of burning smell.

If you think this might be the case, it would be wise for you to carefully monitor the radiator fluid level. If you seem to be losing an unusually large amount of fluid, bring in the vehicle to have its cooling system checked by one of our friendly specialists.

Perhaps the most common experience people have in regards to their car's cooling system is when they notice a small puddle of yellow greenish fluid in the driveway where they park the car. That fluid is your antifreeze/coolant.

First, look to see if the vehicle's radiator hoses have burst, or if a clamp that holds the hose in place has loosened. If so, you can try to fix the hose temporarily, using a new clamp (which we recommend you should keep in your trunk) to secure the hose to its connection until you can drive to the Auto Clinic for a permanent replacement.

If the hoses seem to be all right, your radiator could be cracked, or its petcock (a small valve or faucet which drains off excess fluid) could be dripping. If the petcock is all right, fill the radiator with more antifreeze/coolant. (Again, we recommend that you carry some extra antifreeze/coolant in your trunk.) Drive your vehicle as soon as possible to the Auto Clinic or a service station to have the problem checked out professionally.

Of course, the best advice to follow is to regularly check your antifreeze/coolant level when you check you vehicle's oil, transmission fluid and other key fluids. Before you start the car in the morning, remove the radiator cap and make sure you have plenty of water. You only need to do this once every couple of weeks or perhaps a bit more depending on how much you drive.

As is the case with so many things, a little bit of prevention is preferable to the alternative. If you consistently neglect your vehicle's cooling system, you risk overheating your car's engine. It make a lot more sense and is a lot cheaper to buy a new radiator hose and a couple of gallons of coolant than undergo major engine repair or replacement. If you think you may have a cooling system problem, bring your vehicle in and we'll be glad to look at it.

Why mounting snow chains on a 4x4 on the front-only can be deadly

2008-01-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

FROM: jgh@hopper.unh.edu (Jeffrey G Hemmett)
SUBJECT: Re: snow chain - front or rear
ORGANIZATION: University_of New Hampshire

In article <3519e3a6.594202788@news-pnh.mv.net>, Peter D. Hipson wrote:

I would like to get some advice on whether to install snow chain on the 2ront or rear wheels of a 97 Pathfinder 4x4? Of course if I install them on the front wheels, then I should be in 4WD mode. I've asked Nissan and they strongly advice on only installing on the rear wheels.

Any comments?

Sounds like you answered your own question: "Nissan and they strongly advice on only installing on the rear wheels"!

Why do you want them on the front wheels? (I assume you are looking for someone to counter Nissan's comment) Probably there are clearence problems with the front, so be very careful if you try it. Check to make sure you don't destroy the stearing, and other components, or that the chains don't get broken, and then trash your wheel wells.

Excepting for certain conditions, and places, good driving practices are much more important than tire chains! Rather than chains, I'd suggest a more agressive tire might be the best solution for your problem

Want to know the reason to put them on the rear only if you've got
only 1 pair? Going downhill.

You're out on a nice snowy trail, and you put your only pair of chains on the front wheels, since the chains multiply traction like you wouldn't believe. You figure it's sort of like the front wheel drive theory, you'll have the best traction on the turning wheels to pull you through corners. You are right, and you laugh haughtily as you watch your rear chained friends take corners wide, miss corners, and generally not have a lot of directional control. Then you come to a big hill you have to go down. Your rear chained friends go down no problem, except a few missed a turn in the middle and had to get winched back on track. Now your gonna show 'em how it's done, figuring your front drive chains will pull you through the corner. You start down, and notice the hill is a little off camber. Then you notice your back end is swinging out, and catching up to the front quite quickly. You now find you are going down the track almost sideways, and finally enough snow gets piled up next to your sideways sliding tires to tip the jeep over. On your side, you take off sliding down the hill on your sheetmetal, plowing into your friends who are standing in awe in front of their trucks at 30+, killing all of them except one, who was off taking a leak. But before it fully sinks in that you have to find new drinking buddies, you pile into the side of a pickup with those dreaded side tanks and blow up in a firery conflagration. If there is such a word. Anyway, what happened?

Well, you forgot that your rear tires weren't passively following, like on a true front wheel drive, they were spinning. Spinning without much traction. This leads to sliding. Your front tires, with the chains, had great traction, and weren't going anywhere. The off camber nature of the trail (and if not that then the corner would have) caused gravity to push your sliding rear end down; you were an upside down pendulum, with the pivot being your front tires and not enough traction in back to keep your rear from coming around. If you could go perfectly straight down a perfectly even trail, with no off camber, your rear would have stayed balanced behind your front. If you find a trail like this, let me know. Your rear chained friends, had they lived, would have explained to you that their pivot was on the back, and so going down hill kept them in a stable position. Going uphill they are at a disadvantage, but they have the added control of being able to turn the front wheels and control to some degree the direction they are spinning, and therefore the sliding. But not a whole lot (in a chained rear wheel drive car the front tires aren't spinning, so altough still a bitch in snow up steep hills, not nearly so bad).

Anyway, upon returning from bleeding his lizard, your sole surviving friend surveyed the scene and did what any intellignet person would do: he took a pair of chains from one of his (now dead) friends rigs. With chains all around he was stable up and down hills, had chains pulling him around corners, and also generally enjoyed a whole lot more traction than he had before.

- Jeff

From: MTSOBCZAK@aol.com
Subject: Tire Chains Tips #21/MS (Long)
To: landcruisers@tlca.org

Prior post summaries on the use of chains I thought might be good to review - Stay Safe for the holidays!!!

Chains - All four chained is obviously best, however, if you are going to run just one pair, generally put them on the front for increased directional control. On a steep slippery hill, you definitely want the chains on the uphill end. Control is more important than traction. In the event the unchained end loses traction, you want it to be the lower end of the rig so that it doesn't try to pass you as it slides down the hill. The average speed should be well under 10 mph and usually 20 - 30 mile per hour on dry roads. For even better performance, try two chains on each tire with the cross chains offset. You could also double up the cross chains on a single unit. Chains that are as TIGHT as possible will get maximum life at 30 mph or less. 40 mph is about 57% chain life and 50 mph drops it to 31% chain life. If the chains are loosened by just one link, each side gives you 50% life at 30 mph 16% at 40 mph and 7% at 50 mpg. Do not deflate the tires to install the chains. After installing them, driving about 1/4" mile, stop and re-tighten the chains and never use them on "all
cable" type.

Regular tire chains (the kind that are shaped like ladders when they're spread out on the ground, with only two runners and a whole bunch of rungs) have little or no effect on lateral traction. There are certainly designs (such as "Diamond chains") which will keep more chain between your tire and the ground, but plain old ladder chains do provide lateral traction as well. If your tire is not turning, but is instead sliding, and the cross chains are spaced and located in such a way that none are on the ground, then it's true they can't help much. So long as the tire is rolling, and you have at least one cross chain in contact with the ground, the chains will help your directional control.

Anyway, if you're getting one set, you're probably best off to put them on the back, because they won't make your steering worse than it would be without them.

For almost all use, especially on road use, if you run only one set of chains on a four wheel drive rig, you should run them on the front. First of, because the chains WILL HELP your steering, not hinder it..Secondly most of you braking force is available at the front wheels, not the rear. At the low speeds that chain use is appropriate for, this is where you want the bite to slow down. And lastly, in low traction conditions, a chained rear end and an unchained front end will tend to allow the rear axle to push the front in a turn. This will result in under steer behavior. Sometimes extremely so. And it will not be constant, or predictable. About the only time you should put chains on the rear only of a Cruiser is for descending a steep slippery grade (mud, snow, ice or whatever). In this situation you want to have your traction ability weighted toward the rear. Otherwise you may find yourself in a situation where the tail end simply will not stop when you apply the brakes. The front end will, but and ruts or irregularities in the surface will allow the rear of the rig to slip to one side or the other. Once it does, it will continue sliding downhill and spin you right around. (Assuming that the slope is not steep enough to cause you to tip over when you get turned sideways to it.) When climbing a steep slippery slope you will of course get more traction advantage from the chains if they are mounted on the rear. However if the traction capabilities of the front tires are degraded enough by the snow, ice or mud, you may find the front end sliding back downward if you get crossed up at all. And if you don't make the climb, and have to back down, you are now in a similar situation to before, where you want to have the most grip with the uphill axle. An improvement I have seen done to ladder style chains is to purchase additional cross chains (normally sold for repair purposes), and double up the number of cross chains. This gives much more traction, both in the direction of wheel travel, and laterally as well.

Probably the biggest mistake that people make with chains is driving too fast. If conditions are slippery enough that you really need chains on your 4x4, then 30 mph is TOO FAST. I seldom travel over 15-20 when the rig is chained, whether on the road or the trail. Higher speeds will also wear your chains at a geometrerically faster rate. Mark Whatley

Ice driving - I drove in low range and had very good luck in using the low range in conjunction with compression braking, double clutch downshifting and some gentle squeezing of the brakes (threshold braking). I was able to stop in conditions where I was not able to in high range, two wheel drive mode.

From: Trey
To: landcruisers@tlca.org
Subject: Re: Tire Chains Tips #21/MS (Long)

MTSOBCZAK@aol.com wrote:

Prior post summaries on the use of chains I thought might be good to review - Stay Safe for the holidays!!!

For even better performance, try two chains on each tire with the cross chains offset.

Tire chains were not meant for this. If you can't get to where you need to go with one good pair (or all 4s chained), then you really don't need to be there. This is an unsafe idea.

You could also double up the cross chains on a single unit.

MUCH better idea. Have done this many times...

After installing them, driving about 1/4" mile, stop and re-tighten the chains and never use them on "all cable" type.

Never use "rubber adjusters" on "all cable" type.

Regular tire chains (the kind that are shaped like ladders when they're spread out on the ground, with only two runners and a whole bunch of rungs) have little or no effect on lateral traction. There are certainly designs (such as "Diamond chains") which will keep more chain between your tire and the ground, but plain old ladder chains do provide lateral traction as well.

No offense but you contradict yourself. Your first sentence say's ladder chains have "no effect on lateral traction" and the you say "plain old ladder chains do provide lateral traction as well".

If your tire is not turning, but is instead sliding, and the cross chains are spaced and located in such a way that none are on the ground, then it's true they can't help much.

You must have the wrong size chains for your tires then. A correct sized chain will have 2 cross chains touching the ground when spaced correctly.

Anyway, if you're getting one set, you're probably best off to put them on the back, because they won't make your steering worse than it would be without them.

This is sniped from you first sentence.....

"All four chained is obviously best, however, if you are going to run just one pair, generally put them on the front for increased directional control."

Then you say...

For almost all use, especially on road use, if you run only one set of chains on a four wheel drive rig, you should run them on the front.

Your confusing...

First of, because the chains WILL HELP your steering, not hinder it..Secondly most of you braking force is available at the front wheels, not the rear. At the low speeds that chain use is appropriate for, this is where you want the bite to slow down.

Off road it will help steering and traction. As for breaking force, if the front doesn't "grab" then your chained rear will.

And lastly, in low traction conditions, a chained rear end and an unchained front end will tend to allow the rear axle to push the front in a turn. This will result in under steer behavior. Sometimes extremely so. And it will not be constant, or predictable.

Slow down. We drive in snow and ice 5 + months a year :-)

About the only time you should put chains on the rear only of a Cruiser is for descending a steep slippery grade (mud, snow, ice or whatever).

Or daily driving on pavement.

When climbing a steep slippery slope you will of course get more traction advantage from the chains if they are mounted on the rear.

I disagree. I'd prefer the "pulling" tires to have the traction in this situation verses the "pushing" tires for the very reasons you state below.

However if the traction capabilities of the front tires are degraded enough by the snow, ice or mud, you may find the front end sliding back downward if you get crossed up at all. And if you don't make the climb, and have to back down, you are now in a similar situation to before, where you want to have the most grip with the uphill axle.

An improvement I have seen done to ladder style chains is to purchase additional cross chains (normally sold for repair purposes), and double up the number of cross chains. This gives much more traction, both in the direction of wheel travel, and laterally as well.

This is the best and safest way. Please do not double up tire chains (2 sets on 1 tire).

Probably the biggest mistake that people make with chains is driving too fast. If conditions are slippery enough that you really need chains on your 4x4 , then 30 mph is TOO FAST. I seldom travel over 15-20 when the rig is chained, whether on the road or the trail. Higher speeds will also wear your chains at a geometrerically faster rate. Mark Whatley

I couldn't have said it better myself :-)

FROM: "Jarhead"
SUBJECT: Re: Tire Chains
NEWSGROUPS: rec.autos.4x4

"David & Ann" wrote in message
news:3C63459A.69CD8A76@mediaone.net...

I've got a set of tire chains on the rear wheels of my '89 Toyota 4WD pickup so I can get up the snow and ice covered hill in my back property.

The question is, can I put another set of chains on the front wheels? I've had a couple of people tell me that you should never put tire chains on the front wheels. Is that only because of wheel well clearance issues or is there some other reason? I've got 35" mud tires and 7" of lift so there are no clearance issues on my truck.

Also, has anybody had any problems running tire chains with a Detroit Locker? When I make tight turns in my driveway, I can hear the inside wheel skipping over the chains and I'm worried I might break an axle or something.

Thanks.

- David

30 years ago when I taught school on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, one of the El Paso Natural Gas guys clued me in on how they ran in the Oil bearing Shale gumbo in that area.(Grey dirt that turned into Axle grease after a rain).
First of all they ran tall,narrow tires and when needed they ran front chains ONLY. Also, they added extra heavy cross chains between the regular cross chains and left them loose so that the chains would clean themselves as they rotated. Rubber Bungee tensioners were used by some. Others had an extra set of wheels with the chains permanently mounted and put on tight before the tire was fully inflated. ( The cross chains were still loose). Most of the Jicarilla had 2WD PU's with the latter arrangement.

When they were confronted with a real narrow place that mandated that they kept it in a straight line he said to grab a few clicks of emergency brake. This shifted enough power to the front so as to drag the rear straight behind the front wheels. This worked on my '69 Scout and later with my HD Half 1100 Series IH PU. This kept me from certain disaster several times.
Never heard of anyone having trouble with the chains damaging anything underneath the trucks. None of them had lift kits either.
--
Jarhead

FROM: Roger Brown
SUBJECT: Re: Tire Chains

David & Ann wrote:

Thanks, everyone, for the advice/experience. I'm only running with the chains on the snow covered trails (and my driveway when I turn the truck around). I wouldn't be able to get up my hill without them. So far, I've been able to climb the hill with just the rear chains, but the snow isn't very deep yet. I may need to add another set of chains to the front if we get more snow. I'll make sure to check the brake lines for clearance first.

Airing the tires down can help, too. I find that running around 18-20 psi does wonders for snow and ice traction and you can still do freeway speeds if needed.

Engine Compartment Cleanup

2008-01-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

Here's one area where the racers can benefit from a good detailing as much as or more than the show guys. In a race car, reliability is everything. Having a part fail at the wrong time means the end of the day for you. The gauges in the cockpit can only tell you so much & the laptop monitoring your systems can't see everything. The only way to see if a belt is about to cut loose, or a hose is developing a bulge where it shouldn't or cracks around a fitting is by visual inspection. But if your engine bay is a greasy mess, how can you see what's really going on in there?

For a show car, what do you think would happen if the judges give your car high marks, only to open the hood and find more grease than on the bottom of a barbeque grill?

I'm going to figure worst case, there's more grease and oil under your hood than in a small middle eastern country. Have any of you ever heard the term 'fight fire with fire'? In this case it means we're going to start cleaning your engine bay with more oil. Two of my favorites are WD-40 and PB Blaster. Both of these are highly refined oils and very thin - designed to penetrate. These oils will penetrate the grease and sludge covering your engine and turn them into a more liquid form which is easily rinsed off. For a first time cleaning on a really bad engine, you'll want the engine hot (operating temperature). This softens the sludge, making the process easier by giving you a head start.

One of the side benefits of using WD-40 or PB Blaster as a cleaner, is that they're safe for the electrical connections in the engine. I usually start with the underneath of the hood. That way I don?t have crud dripping onto my clean engine like I would if I cleaned the hood last..

The underside of the hood is easy enough. Spray the WD-40/Blaster liberally over everything. When I say everything, I mean it. All those openings in the hood, use the little tube supplied to direct the spray into the crease behind the leading edge of the hood. This is where most hood rust starts, so cleaning it out is really important. You may even consider removing the insulation from the hood so you can get behind it. Extra bad spots should be scrubbed with a soft bristled brush.
Once this 'heavy' cleaning is done, hit the hood with a strong stream of water and rinse off the grease & oil residue. Now things get a bit more conventional. Simple Green is a great cleaner. Safe, biodegradable and non-toxic. Best of all, it works. I normally re-spray the underside of the hood with Simple Green and let it soak. Then I use an old wash mitt and a bucket of water with DAWN dish soap. Rinse by directing a strong stream of water over the surface, taking extra care to try and flush out all the hidden areas. This combination removes all the remaining residue, leaving the hood perfectly clean.

The actual engine bay is a bit more difficult than any other part of the car simply because it has so many tight areas, electrical parts and connectors. Not to mention the multitude of different materials (different types of plastic, rubber, aluminum, steel & painted surfaces) inside. On most cars, the only thing you really need to remove is the stock air intake. If you want to get really serious, There are places that rent engine hoists. Once the air intake is removed, your throttle body is wide open. Obviously mass amounts of water aren't good in here. You can use either aluminum foil, or plastic wrap & a rubber band to seal off the opening. For the major electrical components (alternator, fuse & power distribution boxes, wiring harness connectors etc.) you may decide that you want these items covered before cleaning to prevent their exposure to large amounts of semi-high pressure water. For these items, aluminum foil works best. It's relatively durable, completely water and detergent proof and best of all, stays where you put it.
I personally don't feel the need to cover parts of the engine (other than the TB opening) prior to washing. My way of thinking is that as soon as I'm done, take the car out for a 15-20 minute drive. The combination of engine heat, and airflow from driving will quickly remove most of the water. Driving through a puddle, or driving in the rain will leave more water than what remains after the wash.
How deeply you dig into the engine bay to clean is completely up to you. If you like, divide it into sections to be done on different days. Inner fenders one day and fire wall, radiator support area the next and the actual engine another day. Splitting the job up will help keep you from 'burning out' and lets you do a more thorough job.

For the engine, hoses and other misc. parts, plan on getting pretty dirty yourself. 'Splash back' is going to be a factor here, as will reaching deep into the engine bay to get the lower sections of the engine & firewall.
You will want to use the old wash mitt and make sure you get all sides of the hoses, brackets and other parts. Trust me if you miss something during the cleaning you're going to find it when you next work on the car when you stick your hand in there and it comes back all grimy from an area that didn't get cleaned, or the nice chrome part you're installing winds up covered in crud.

Once you think you've gotten it all, rinse the motor with the garden hose. Start with a strong stream and hit everything. Once the big stuff is gone, switch to a medium spray. This will 'float' the remaining gunk away without splashing it all over the place. There is no way you're going to clean the engine without getting over-spray of cleaners & gunk over the rest of the car (especially the windshield). Occasionally rinse the whole car to remove the crud and prevent it from sticking where it shouldn't.

Once this 'heavy' cleaning is done, stick your head back into the engine bay and look for anything you missed, use your hands to check under and behind parts. This is also the time to check for worn hoses, belts, frayed or melted wires etc. The majority of the dirt & grime are gone, and since you're doing a close inspection of the whole engine anyway? For the racers (or anyone for that matter) having a clean engine lets you spot leaks right away, and it's much easier to tell where the leak is if you can see where it's coming from instead of looking for fresh spill amid a bunch of old grime. Too, if a competitor happens to look in, they're going to see a tight engine compartment and know you're serious about your stuff. Not to mention if something IS broken, you're going to have to stick your hands in there & why get dirtier than you have to?

If you find that the whole engine is now clean (or as clean as you want it) take it for the 'dry off' drive. If not go after the remaining dirt with the wash mitt or other tool needed to reach that area. When you're done with the drive, you'll need to give your car a quick wash of the visible surfaces to remove any residue that splashed onto it from the engine cleaning.

Now is the time to decide if you're going to use dressing on the engine. Some people use a water based protectant (usually a very thin product) and spray the entire engine bay, others use something like BLACK MAGIC, applying it with a cloth to all the proper parts instead of spraying everything in sight. I personally apply wax to the painted areas I can reach and use BLACK MAGIC (cause the wife bought a ton of it at the discount store for me) on the wires, hoses & other plastic parts.

Tips & Tricks:
I haven't tried this, but some have said that on a mildly dirty engine, you can soak the engine & engine bay with ARMOR ALL then let it soak over night. The next day, spray everything down with a strong stream of water. This is supposed to wash away the grime & excess ARMOR ALL and leave a nice gloss.

Make sure to clean the fan blades (electric or belt driven), dirty blades don't flow air as well and may contribute to overheating. After an intense cleaning make sure to re-lubricate the hinges, you just stripped them clean of grease.
A wet/dry vacuum with a crevice attachment can also be used to dry the engine, as can compressed air. Be careful with compressed air though, it can force water where it doesn't belong.

When you are cleaning your engine with just soap and water, you want it cold. Otherwise the soap will dry out too fast, forcing you to use even more soap and making things harder than they have to be.

Bonehead Award: Engine Oil Flush Machines

2007-12-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

The fifth annual bonehead award goes to the makers of engine oil flush machines, as well as those businesses who are telling their customers that engine oil flushing is a necessary part of engine maintenance. At best, engine oil flushing does nothing but lighten the consumers wallet. At worst, it thins out the oil causing accelerated engine wear. And at the very worst, it causes chunks of sludge buildup to become dislodged and to clog up the oil filter-which would result in catastrophic engine failure!

The Scenario
It’s time for you to change the oil on your one-year-old Jeep Cherokee. Your local repair shop is closed for vacation and the dealer is too busy to give you an appointment right away. Rather than wait, you decide to go to one of those fast-oil-changes for their 10-minute $19.95 oil change special. No harm done, just so long as you change the oil according to the maintenance schedule--just as you’ve done for the past 20,000 miles.
A few minutes after they begin, the oil change guy comes out with a stern look on his face and his latex-covered hand held out. He holds something in it for you to see-some of your motor oil! He says, Look at this filthy motor oil. It is way to dirty, and now your engine is full of sludge. Your engine must be cleaned or this will cause it to blow a gasket. You can’t believe your eyes, as the oil looks pretty dirty. But you’ve always followed the recommended oil change intervals. "Why is this happening to your engine?" you ask. The attendant tells you that changing your oil is not enough, that you need to have your engine flushed every year or every 12,000 miles. He hands you a pamphlet that has a title with large bold print:

"Just changing your oil is not enough"

He walks with you out to your car, which is sitting astride a lube pit. In the pit is another lube tech who stands next to your car's rear differential. He is looking up at you with a grim look on his face, and he's holding up his hand for you to see a blob of dirty oil. The first attendant picks up your air filter to show to you, and then points to the hand of the other attendant under the car. He says the air filter is much too dirty, pointing to it. Then he points to the other mans hand and says that the dirty oil came from your fourwheel-drive unit, explaining that it is very dirty and must be changed--or the four-wheel-drive unit will go bad. More grim looks. The truth or a scam? Can this man judge the condition of your motor oil and gear lube by sight? Does the fact that the oil has darkened, mean that it is 'too dirty'? Could a slightly dirty air filter also be bad? Even more importantly, what happened to that $19.95 oil change special? You're now looking at about $200--which is mostly the cost of the engine oil flush, which is $99.95.

Sensing that there is a big scam going on, the Good Morning America news team decided to do an undercover sting operation. They wired a reporter with a camera in the top button of his shirt, and sent him to several local and national fast-oil-chain places in New York. They found the tactics varied little from place to place. The oil change attendant would show the reporter the dirty oil, and then follow with a stern brow beating for not changing it frequently. Then, as if a miracle panacea had suddenly appeared, they said they needed to do this special engine flush in order to save it from the wrath of engine sludge. Just like the pamphlet says, this little R2 universal flushing unit will clean the engine, remove varnish, sludge, and all the engine wear particles, leaving the motor with more horsepower, and lower tailpipe emissions. And the scenario is repeated all across America, not only in the fast-lube chains but in car dealerships as well. This new scourge, the oil change machine, has added a generously new profit source for shops that own one. for the most part. You just need more frequent oil changes that's all. And if you do have sludge, the flushing machine won't even touch the sludge buildup! Oh, that's not all. The oil flushing service is not approved by the automakers, and will void your warranty. And even worse, this service is likely to do more than just lighten your wallet by $100 or so it is likely to cause accelerated engine bearing and cylinder
wall wear!

The Problem
Here’s how what we call the 'R2D2' flushing machines work. After the engine oil is drained and oil filter removed, two hoses from the R2D2 unit are attached to the motor, once where the oil filter goes, and the second to the oil pan drain. Then R2D2 pumps a warm solvent into the engine and then sucks it back out. Then the machine pumps it back in again. R2D2 circulates solvent for maybe 10 to 15 minutes. Then the final 'sucker' cycle is run, and R2D2 is now finished doing his deed of fighting the evil sludge. While this may look beneficial and harmless, there are several lurking
'dark forces' with these 'R2D2' machines:

The biggest fiction is that it never addressed sludge in the first place it never even touches it! Engine oil sludge forms on the inside of the engine, mainly inside the valve covers and the oil pan. These areas are completely removed from the flushing solvent oil that R2D2 pumps through his hoses. The solvent runs through the oil-drilled passages, and never touches the sludge. The analogy is having a dentist wash the patient's hair in order to remove the dental plaque buildup that is on his teeth! The shampoo never touches the plaque and even if it did'it wouldn't dissolve
it in the first place.

Even if the R2D2 unit did somehow loosen the sludge, there's a big danger of the sludge breaking loose and clogging the pump. If this were to happen, the engine would lose oil pressure and quickly self-destruct!

Chunks of sludge would work loose, and then be drawn up to the oil pump intake where they would get suckedup against the intake screen plugging it up. No oil pressure, dead engine.

R2D2 leaves about ½ quart of hydrocarbon solvent behind in the engine.
This hurts the engine in several ways:

1. It dilutes the oil. Solvents are actually lightweight mineral oil (hydrocarbon) oils. Don't fall for the ruse that 3-weight mineral oil isn't a solvent. It is a solvent, and it dilutes your motor oil by breaking down the viscosity improvers in the additive package. The resulting loss of viscosity causes the oil to be less viscous. Adding ½ quart of solvent to a typical fill of 5w-30 motor oil will turn it into 0w-20 weight oil. This thin oil won't provide adequate engine protection, resulting in increased camshaft and bearing wear especially during cold startups. NOTE: Applying vacuum to the engine oil pan won't remove the solvent hung up inside the engine. At least ½ a quart solvent will remain in the oil passage drillings, bearing saddles, on ledges and flat surfaces inside the engine, as well as in the pockets and recesses in the block and head.

2. Exposure of solvent to engine seals and O-rings may harm them resulting in accelerated seal wear and subsequent lack of proper function.

3. The remaining solvent evaporates after the engine is operated for an hour or two. One the oil reaches operating temperature, the lightweight oils will boil out and vaporize, being drawn away by the crankcase ventilation system (PCV). This leaves the engine ½ quart low on oil. People who just had their oil changed aren't likely to check the oil level right after a change, and will wind up operating the engine low on oil. This will accelerate oil break down and oil contamination, resulting in compromised engine lubrication. By the time the owner checks it, it could have fallen
below the add level.

Double Speak

Like all snakeoil salesmen, the story gets changed in order to keep you believing in their product. Bilstein, a major player in the manufacture and distribution of R2D2 flushing (only they call it the R-2000) makes several questionable statements. Here's a litany of some of the claims and statements that we've collected:

Originally, Bilstein recommended engine flushing be done once a year, or every 15,000 miles. Since the TV investigative report, they backed off, saying the R2D2 should only be used “as needed”. The “annual” and “12,000 mile interval” recommendations have been quietly dropped. We wonder why?
"[Engine oil flushing] is the only way to change the oil completely in some engines." And 'Just changing the oil isn’t enough.” Why isn't consecutive draining and refilling of the oil enough. It always has been. Why wouldn't the detergent-dispersant additive package found in motor oil do the same thing? We believe it does, and does it without harming the engine nor your wallet.
"When [engine] particulate levels are, internal engine friction is reduced, fuel economy is improved and tailpipe emissions drop." This leap of faith is totally without merit. The presence of engine particulates may cause accelerated engine piston ring and bearing wear, but have no direct effect on engine power (internal friction), fuel economy, or tailpipe emissions.
“Engine flushing is effective in reducing 10 key engine oil wear elements and oil contaminations between 33% - 100% - over and above a standard oil change." More on this claim below.
The Bilstein technical authority says (in a letter of August 15, 2001) that the Bilstein engine flush brings a motor back to something he calls the "new vehicle oil quality standard". However, there's no such standard known by the industry. But this letter implies that if there's some kind of standard to which all new cars must adhere.
The Bilstein website (which keeps changing its recommendations) now touts that hooking up an R2D2 to your engine will result in... “Improved oil cleanliness also enables vehicle owners to extend their oil-drain intervals by up to one-third. The real pay off from removing engine contamination is the enormous reduction in wear rate and the time between engine overhauls.”

Test Procedures, Controls, & Blinds

"To conduct the study, Bilstein contracted with three independent, certified testing laboratories to measure the effectiveness of [Bilstein] oil flush products in reducing vehicle emissions and improving performance." The three independent testing labs were not used to produce three independent courses of data analysis, as you would be lead to believe. One lab tested the motor oil, another tested emissions, and another tested horsepower. There certainly was nothing independent about their involvement. Funny, there's no such thing as a "certified" testing lab. In this country, if you want stalwart engine data tests to be run, there are two well-known labs that just about everyone uses, Southwest Laboratories and EG & G Testing. They are both located in San Antonio, Texas. Neither was used.

All the data shown was gathered without a control group. The subsequent claims are false and misleading claim because they are based on questionable data. Most importantly, no control group was used in their studies. A control group would be needed to establish a "standard oil change" baseline in order to make comparisons. Otherwise, all comparisons are made with the engine being treated, and the treatment effect is confounded by the treatment itself. Here's some specifics:

1. Tailpipe emissions normally drop after an oil change. Dirty oil is the most likely cause of failed exhaust emissions, and simply changing the oil is all that’s necessary. And since lighter oils are less viscous, they exhibit less engine drag. The thinner nature of the oil allows the engine to turn over more freely, thereby increasing less fuel requirement and lower emissions. Ditto for horsepower. A control group data would clearly show this fact.

2. The same (or better) results would be had if the engines were simply given two oil changes instead of an oil change and engine flush. If the engine was dirty inside, a second oil change would do the exact same thing as the engine flush. In fact, consecutive oil changes may induce even less wear metals because the oil flushing machine is allowing the oil to thin out and thereby inducing some wear metals from the subsequent metal-to-metal contact of the bearing surfaces
caused by the thinner oil. The data was gathered without a double-blind. The operator could have easily affected the outcome.How long did the engine run before
the emission and horsepower tests were conducted? A cold engine will show poorer results. Was the engine fully warmed after the flush? Was engine operating temperature manipulated for gains in horsepower and emission control?

Choice of an improper test procedures could affect the outcome.
What emission test was used?
1. The Federal Test Protocols (FTP) 'idle sampling only' test would typically show improvement with a lighter weight (lower viscosity) motor oil. Therefore, comparisons between an engine operated with different weight oils are totally spurious.
2. The emissions test scores touted in the sales literature show decreases in hydrocarbons (HC), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrates of Oxygen (NOx), as well as Carbon Dioxide( CO2). Some other variable must have been manipulated as these scores aren't possible. Not from just changing the oil. For one thing, a cooler engine will
have lower NOx scores that a hot one. Opening the door (or a fan) would let more cold air into the engine. This lowering of the combustion temperature would also lower NOx. Another way is to manipulate the exhaust catalytic converter. Simply precondition the engine and allow it to warm up enough to light off and begin working. That's a very simple way to lower NOx.
3. The emission tests also showed a drop in CO2 emissions. This is proof that the engines weren't fully warmed when being tested. The CO2 emissions are supposed to go up rather than down! When the HC and CO emissions decrease, CO2 increases! Decrease in CO2 emissions is a bad thing, because it is accompanied by increased HC and
CO emissions the bad guys. This bad science has an unbalanced chemical equation. The idea is to lower harmful gasses (HC and CO) and increase CO2 and H2O (water vapor) in the exhaust! Reporting a decrease in CO2 points to faulty sampling methods (or bogus numbers).

The oil analysis test procedures could easily be rigged to show a decrease
in engine wear metals.
1. One test touts that the R2D2 machine lowered levels of MO (molybdenum) along with the other engine wear metals--as if it were a wear metal! In fact, MO is an important oil additive used to control metal scuffing. The data itself is proof of faulty test procedures. A reduction of MO is clearly NOT beneficial, and throws suspicion on all of the results.
2. Other test data show a 10% reduction of NO3 -which indicates oil nitration. This item has nothing whatsoever to do engine wear metals, sludge, or even engine flushing. Oil nitration is caused by the breakdown of the oil by abnormal engine operating conditions, such as extreme temps, lack of lubrication, or mechanical malfunctions (stuck thermostats or spark timing problems). Flushing the engine has nothing to do with reducing NO3. The data again throws suspicion about the engine being tested, which appears to be operating under abnormal conditions.

Post Hoc Ergo Hoc

The bad science behind oil flushing machines serves as an example of the "post hoc, ergo hoc" fallacy (because of this therefore that; i.e. do this, get that). The fallacy would lead you to believe that if you do this (have your engine oil flushed), you will enjoy these results (better emissions, better gas mileage, more power). However, the background facts involved in the testing session aren’t ever taken into consideration. In a classical example of the post hoc fallacy, you would say, "Heroin addiction is directly a cause from drinking milk." It's easy to reach this conclusion if you interviewed 100 heroin addicts, asking if they drank milk.
Close to 100% would say, "Yes" leading to the conclusion that drinking milk leads to heroin use. But what if you interviewed 100 non-addicts and asked them the same question? Clearly the use of a control group in this study would have showed that the results attributable to some other factor, and were not the effect of the engine flush. Supporting paperwork provided by Bilstein show a number of new car dealers selling this service, for as high as $129.95 (plus tax and hazardous waste fees). While, to some, this shows credibility to oil flushing, it is against the manufacturer’s recommendations. When questioned by the ABC reporter, all of the Big Three car makers recommended against using engine oil flush machines. If the engine were to suffer from a lubrication failure and the manufacturer found out an engine flush was used, the warranty would be voided.
Finally, a test report conducted for Ashland (Valvoline) found its way into the hands of the ABC reporter. The test report, dated March 5, 2002, says that the test... Has not been conducted in a valid manner in accordance with Test Method D5302 (sequence VE). When asked about the invalid test results, the Bilstein spokesperson said 'You weren't supposed to see that test. Engine oil flushes do have a small place in the automotive repair industry. They could be used to flush the oil when there's contamination by coolant, water, sugar, or brake fluid. Otherwise, engine oil flushing is not needed. We believe that the this service is actually a disservice to the consumer and constitutes a major rip-off.

Lasting Tips: Shocks and Struts

2007-12-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

Shocks and struts play critical roles in your vehicle’s ability to deliver precise steering response, maximum stopping power and road-holding stability in a broad range of driving situations. Tires, brakes, and shocks or struts work together as a complete chassis system. If even one shock or strut is worn, the tires and brakes may not be able to deliver the margin of
safety you need in certain situations. This chassis system is known as the "Safety Triangle," representing the tires, brakes, and shocks/struts as well as the 3 key safety-related handling characteristics steering, stopping and stability. The primary role of shock absorbers and struts is to hold the tires against the road. This is particularly important when a vehicle hits a
bump or pothole because the impact causes the wheels to rebound away from the road surface. By absorbing the energy of these impacts, shocks and struts help minimize traction loss. A series of safety tests conducted with some popular US automobiles showed that vehicles equipped with 3 new shocks and one 50% degraded shock required an average of 4% more time and almost 6% greater distance to brake from 60 to zero miles per hour when compared with similar vehicles with new replacement shocks. (Testing was conducted on a dry, bumpy road surface.)

A popular SUV equipped with one degraded shock required nearly 10% more braking time (approximately 16 feet) than it did when equipped with new replacement shocks. In an accident-avoidance test, vehicles equipped with one degraded shock were forced to travel at a 4% lower speed, on average, to safely perform a sudden evasive maneuver when compared
to the same vehicles with new replacement shocks.

Vehicles capable of performing this test at higher speeds have a wider "safety envelope" and are less likely to spin, lose control or exit the roadway in situations when sudden evasive action is required. During catastrophic engine failure, broken pieces of valves, valve guides, valve seats, pistons, piston rings may wind up becoming lodged deep inside in the internal passages of the intake manifolds-which are very complex on modern engines. Absolute cleaning may be impossible, especially plastic intake manifolds. Reusing the manifold may result in debris later coming loose and being ingested into the replacement engine. If the engine suffered from such a failure (e.g. broken timing belt/chain, and the valves hit the pistons) with significant debris present, it
is best to replace the intake manifolds

Know It All: True or False?

2007-12-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

Park your car outside during the winter not in a garage. Leaving a car outdoors slows the chemical reactions of road salt and ice on the chassis. Those reactions eventually cause rust. Cars kept in a garage, where heat and humidity are higher than they are outdoors, tend to rust more quickly.

False: There are several reasons why this is a myth:
1) In the first place, not all areas of the country are subjected to road salt, and don't have the problem to begin with.
2) The temperature differential between a garage and the outside air is not significant enough to make a difference in how fast rust will occur.
3) The temp differential between inside a garage (even if unheated) and outside is easily significant enough to cause the engine to suffer from a colder startup cycle. The colder the engine when starting, the more wear it will undergo.
4) Ditto for the extra warm-up time required by leaving the vehicle outside. This also wastes gas and causes more air pollution.
5) Removing snow and ice from an uncovered vehicle leaves scratches on the finish.
6) Freezing rain damages door seals, rubber components, and trim molding.
7) Uncovered vehicles suffer more from UV damage from the sun.

There's never any need to put any additives in diesel fuel.

False. While they add a few more dollars to operating cost, fuel additives can reduce some of the risks to your engine (and bottom line) that can result from untreated fuel, according to Peter Van Benthuysen of the Shell Oil Products Technology center. The risks can result in increased
fuel consumption and repair costs

The risks are as follows:
1) Water contamination form fuel storage and handling. Water can cause injector failure, with metal debris going into the combustion chamber and damaging the pistons. In cold weather, water forms wax crystals, which can block fuel lines. Additives stabilize the water in the fuel, preventing it from accumulating in sufficient quantities to cause problems.
2) Injector nozzle deposits upset the spray pattern, causing poor atomization, power loss, engine knock, and increased fuel consumption. Fuel additives have detergents that can clean up injector deposits.
3) Modern low sulfur fuel has less lubricating quality than previously. Fuel additives also improve fuel lubricity, preventing premature fuel pump and injector wear.
4) As an added bonus, some fuel additives have cetane improvers. Higher cetane numbers mean better engine performance, better cold starts, more power and better fuel economy.

Today tips: Carwash and Oil replacement

2007-12-13T07:56:00.000-08:00

Frequent washing in an automatic touch less carwash can cause distortion of the outer surface of the windshield, door, or back window glass, according to General Motors. These types of car washes spray chemicals on the vehicle under high pressure, and do not use moving strips of fabric.

The wash solutions contain hydrofluoric acid which in some causes is not buffered correctly and after repeated exposure can cause visual distortion of the glass. The distortion takes on a
subtle orange-peel pattern, sometimes looking like a drip or sag etched into the surface of the glass. The damage will be first evident as a line on the glass where the wiper blade contacts
the glass. Once the glass is damaged, it can't be restored with scraping or polishing, and must be replaced.

Many people bring their own highpriced motor oil, (e.g. synthetic oil) to
have installed in their vehicle, instead of purchasing the bulk oil from the shop. If you bring your own oil, make sure the mechanic that changes your oil actually puts your high-priced synthetic oil in your car and doesn't wind up keeping it for his own use. While there's no guarantee that your own oil will get installed in your engine, there are a few things that you can do to increase the probability. If possible, look in at your vehicle while it's being
serviced. Watch from the waiting room, or stand by the shop entrance. If this isn't possible, ask to have your empty oil containers returned to you.

Gasohol

2007-11-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

1. What is it?

Gasohol is a mixture of gasoline and alcohol (mostly ethanol). Historically, the use of such a blend dates back as early as 1920s, and has been promoted on and off. Its primary intention is to reduce the consumption (import) of gasoline.

Today, in many countries, the use of gasohol is promoted or even mandated (notably Brazil). In Thailand, the first gasohol appeared on the market in 2001 and has been steadily promoted. The Thai Government, with its usual top-down approach, has set a rather aggressive schedule to replace all conventional gasoline with gasohol. At the time of writing, no other neighbouring countries (Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore) produce gasohol.

Regular 95 gasoline is to be completely replaced with gasohol 95 by January 2007, and is already increasingly difficult to find at gas stations. Regular 91 gasoline is allowed to survive some more years, but to be replaced with gasohol 91 by 2012.

At the moment, both gasohol 95 and gasohol 91 contain 10% ethanol (E10), but this proportion is announced to be increased in the near future.

2. How does it affect?

Unless a motor vehicle is specifically designed to cope with gasohol (and many motorcycles are NOT!), use of gasohol has no advantage on a personal level but incurs certain disadvantages (loss of power and mileage) or even damage (fuel system).

a. loss of power and mileage

This is a natural result of using gasohol and more or less inevitable. How much inconvenience one encounters depends on the engine and the fuel system, and varies from a subtle change in throttle response to outright engine trouble.

You can find various discussions on carburettor modification for gasohol use on motorcycle forums in several countries (eg. U.S.). Roughly speaking, to keep the same performance as with the regular gasoline, you need to replace the carburettor jet to a bigger size to burn more fuel, and adjust the air-intake accordingly. This is a tedious chore even for an experienced mechanic

b. damage to the fuel system

While newer fuel injection models are reported to be designed to resist ethanol corrosion, older fuel injection models and, more seriously, carburettor models are subject to mechanical damage whether in the short term or long term.

One characteristic situation in Thailand is that most big motorcycles are secondhand import from Japan where the use of gasohol is practically non-existent - thus little/no official comment from the manufacturers. At the other end, motorcycles manufactured in the U.S. - be it Harley Davidson or Japanese models - are claimed to be ethanol-resistant. (ref. E-10 Unleaded in Motorcycles)

3. What to do?

Unless you know your bike can handle gasohol without incurring drastic loss of performance or damage, stay away from gasohol, and try to search for model-specific information/experience from other riders. Regular 91 gasoline will still be available for a couple more years, and most motorcycles manufactured in Japan are designed for regular 89 (or above) gasoline.

Different gas stations use different brand names to market various fuels, and it's often difficult to tell which is what. Basically, fuels are tinted in following colors:

Regular 95	yellow	==	Gasohol 95	orange
Regular 91	red	==	Gasohol 91	green

and fuel pumps often (but not always) carry same-colored stickers as with the color of the fuel.

Generally speaking, gas station attendants are unreliable and irresponsible, and they tend to pump in gasohol even when you ask for regular gasoline. It is your responsibility to watch every move of the attendants to make sure that they pump in what you want.

4. Reported experience

Honda VFR 750 (Carburetor)	Stay away from mixed petrol!! I got a tankful of what i can only guess was mixed 95, and the bike ran like shit, I eventually siphoned out the remaining 12 litres and refilled somewhere else, it took a days running to clear it out and get the bike back to normal. Open the throttle and the bike just hesitates as it tries to accelerate.
Yamaha V-Max 1200 (Carburetor)	I made the mistake of putting some gasohol in it once that just destroyed the rubber in the carbies requiring a complete strip down by Siam Superbikes - a job which I'm reliably told "was a complete barstard!!!"
Honda Africa Twin 650 (Carburetor)	it would suck ...my 1988 Honda Africa Twin 650cc had a lousy performance with Gasohol and it felt like some technical problem in the engine or carbo!
Please send your trouble/non-trouble experience to bkkriders@yahoo.com

5. Gasohol-Compatibility List

Following table is an excerpt from Type of cars and motorcycles that are Shell Gasohol 95 compatible. This list is limited to Thai-made motorcycles - and its reliability unknown - but it should give you some idea that not all carburetor models break down instantly upon filling up with gasohol.

Brand/Model	Engine Type	Model	Year
Honda
BEAT			1991
BEAT-R			1992
CBR 150			2002
CELA			1990 - 1991
CELA-L			1990 - 1991
DASH			1993
DREAM EXCES			1994 - 1996
DREAM 125			2001 - 2003
FSX 150			1998
LS 125			1994
NICE			1998
NICE 110			1999
NICE 125			2003
NICE UBOX			2000 - 2002
NOVA-KS			1990 - 1991
NOVA-R			1990 - 1991
NOVA-RS			1990 - 1991
NOVA-SP			1991
NOVA-SP1			1994 - 1996
NSR-RR			1993
NSR-SP			1996
PHANTOM 150			1997 - 1999
PHANTOM 200			2000 - 2002
SMILE			1996
SONIC			2000
WAVE			1997
WAVE 2			2003
WAVE 100			2002
WAVE 110			1999
WAVE 125			2001
WAVE 125 R			2003 - Present
WAVE 125 S			2003 - Present
Suzuki
VIVA 110			1995
FD 110 LOVE			1996
SMASH 110, SMASH JUNIOR 110			2002
SMASH D 110, SMASH 110 PRO, SMASH JUNIOR 110 PRO			2003
SMASH 110 LIMITED			2005
BEST 110			1999
BEST 110 PRO			2001
BEST 125			2003
BEST 125 SPORT, SUPER BEST 125			2004
BEST 125 LIMITED			2005
RAIDER 125			1999
RAIDER 150			2004
STEP 125			Sept. 2005
KATANA 125			Sept. 2005
Yamaha
Belle 100, Belle R			1992
JR-120, JR-R			1992
Mate 100, Mate 111, Mate alfa			1992
RX-Z, Speed, Tiara, Touch, Rainbow, X-1			1992
TZM, TZR, TZR-R			1992
VR, VR-R			1992
ZR-120, ZR-R			1992
Fresh, Fresh ll			1992
Nouvo, Nouvo MX			1992
Spark, Spark-135, Spark-R, Spark-Z			1992
Tiger
Boxer	200SAD	Sport	2004 - Present
CX 125 A	125EAA	Enduro	2004 - Present
CX 125 E	125EAE	Enduro	2004 - Present
CX 125 SE	125EAA	Enduro	2005 - Present
CX 125 SM	125EAE	Enduro	2005 - Present
Joker 120	120MFD	Shopper	2002 - 2004
Joker 125	125MFA	Shopper	2003 - Present
Joker 125 F/0	125MFA	Shopper	2004 - Present
Joker 125 (M)	125MFA	Shopper	2003 - Present
Joker 125 (M) F/0	125MFA	Shopper	2004 - Present
Ozone	110MFA	Family	2004 - Present
S 120 SG 1.2	120MFC	Family / Side Car	2003 - Present
Smart 120 A	120MFA	Family	2002 - 2004
Smart 120 B	120MFB	Family	2002 - 2004
Smart 120 C	120MFC	Family	2002 - 2004
Smart 120 E	120MFE	Family	2002 - 2004
Smart 110 S-C	110MAC	Family	2004 - Present
Smart 110 S-E	110MAE	Family	2004 - Present
Smart 110 S-E (M)	110MAE	Family	2004 - Present
Smart 125 S-A	125MAA	Family	2004 - Present
Smart 125 S-A (M)	125MAA	Family	2004 - Present
Smart 125 S-C	125MAC	Family	2004 - Present
Smart 125 S-E	125MAE	Family	2004 - Present
Smart 125 S-E(M)	125MAE	Family	2004 - Present
ST 200	200SAA	Sport	2004 - Present
Kawasaki
CHEER / 4 stroke	AN110J/L/W/Z
KAZE / KAZE HIT/ 4 stroke	AN112
KAZE 125 / 4 stroke	AN125
KAZE ZX 130 / 4 stroke	AN130
KSR110 / 4 stroke	KL110B
KLX110 / 4 stroke	LX110A
BOSS / 4 stroke	BN175A/E
LEO / LEO STAR / 2 stroke	AS120C/D
GTO / 2 stroke	KH125
KRR-ZX / 2 stroke	KR150K
KR-SSR / 2 stroke	KR150E *
VICTOR H / 2 stroke	KR150H *
VICTOR J / 2 stroke	KR150J *
VICTOR S POLECE / 2 Stroke	KP150A *
* Kawasaki Type KR150E. KR150H. KR150L and KR150A will need to change fuel gauge prior to using Gasohol 95

6. Media Reports

Phuket Gazette - Issues & Answers
Gasohol in motorbikes? (October 17, 2005)

Q. Can the new gasohol fuel be used in motorbikes?
A. Gasohol can be used in all car engines manufactured in Thailand since 1995. However, we do not recommend it be used in motorcycles. The reason for this is that cars made in Thailand in the past 10 years are all equipped with fuel injectors, not carburetors.
The Fuel Research Department of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) researched the use of gasohol only in fuel-injected engines. We are therefore not sure whether the seals in carburetors - as in pre-1995 cars and as still fitted to most motorcycles - can handle the burning of ethanol. Carburetors contain plastic parts. If these are damaged and leak, an engine fire could result.

Carburetor-aspirated engines will work on gasohol but, for the reason stated, we cannot recommend its use in these engines.
( - Vichitpong Cheanthongsub, PTT Phuket Oil Depot Manager)

Gasohol in motorbikes (November 25, 2005)
Q. Why do attendants at Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) gas stations not tell customers that gasohol should not be used in motorbikes or cars older than 10 years? They put it in my motorbike and my 20-year-old car without saying a word.
A. We have given the manager or owner of every gas station in Phuket a half-day of training about gasohol and which engines it is suitable for. It is the duty of the gas station manager to train staff how to serve customers.
In addition, each PTT station has been given brochures - though in Thai only - explaining to customers which engines are suitable for gasohol use.
( - Vichitpong Cheanthongsub, PTT Phuket Oil Depot Manager)

Bangkok Post - Motoring (December 9, 2005)

Gasohol's not a simple cocktail to concoct
Jessada Tandhasettee
Apparently, gasohol has achieved popularity among consumers, much to the delight of its local distributor, based on the assumption that it is 1.50 baht and 0.70 satang cheaper than octane 95 and octane 91 respectively.
But all this is being done without educating the general public and motorists on how much fuel consumption will decrease or increase as a result, and at what rate.
First, a basic understanding of ethyl alcohol is needed. Ethyl alcohol contains about half the amount of energy when compared to gasoline (petrol as it is called in the UK), which in official terms is its heating value.
Engines that use ethyl alcohol and can still deliver the same performance as a gasoline engine will have to use a fuel pipe that has a section area twice as large and fuel injectors that are twice as fast in order to maintain similar performance figures.
And the obvious thing is that fuel consumption will be twice that amount. If you want to compare it head-on, the price of ethyl alcohol per litre must be half that of gasoline.
Therefore, mixing 10% ethyl alcohol with 90% gasoline to make gasohol will result in an energy value of only 95%. When compared to the conventional gasoline engine, fuel consumption will increase by roughly 5% depending on size, condition and type of engine.
If you want to make up for any increase in fuel consumption, the price must be reduced. For example, gasoline 95, now at 25 baht per litre, must be 1.25 baht cheaper.
In reality motorists aren't saving on fuel costs based on distance travelled. But they are helping the economy and the agricultural sector.
I don't need to show you the calculations. Say, if it's gasoline 91 which is 0.70 satang cheaper, the consumer will have to pay more for fuel that will cover the same distance for sure.
In times like this, who will want to pay more for the country?
Gasohol isn't even the standard official name, but is the bringing together of benzine (called gasoline in the US) and alcohol. Hence, gasohol.
It doesn't even tell us whether gasohol uses ethyl or methyl alcohol and doesn't indicate the proportion of mixtures.
The US penned the gasohol moniker because it pioneered the 10% ethyl alcohol and 90% gasoline mixture. The 10% is only an approximate figure; the optimal rate might well be 7% or 8%.
I believe that 10% is too much. Readers please take note: politicians responsible for our country's energy issues were naive when they announced that they will eventually increase the alcohol content in gasohol to 30%.
This is ridiculous and will cause grave damage to the engine. Various components will suffer from wear and tear resulting therefrom.
And, most importantly, how will the engine management system be able to compute the fuel mixture ratio and maintain the same performance at the same time?

Bangkok Post - Outlook (April 12, 2005)
FUEL CRISIS? WHAT FUEL CRISIS?

Karnjariya Sukrung
With the price of Benzene 95 at an all-time high of 22.89 baht per litre, Oranuj, an accountant, decided it was time she did something to stretch the value of her baht.
"I didn't know much about alternative fuels like gasohol, but I decided it was time I really gave them a try," she said, adding that she had been uncertain whether the new type of fuel would adversely affect her car's performance.
"But it didn't. My car seems to run more smoothly and the fuel gauge drops more slowly. Perhaps it's just the good feeling that comes with it helping me save some money," she smiled. With gasohol she saves about 60 baht for 40 litres compared to the same quantity of petrol.
Choke, a 36-year-old entrepreneur, was one step ahead of Oranuj. A few months ago he modified his Mercedes to allow it to run on natural gas, turning it into an NGV (Natural Gas Vehicle).
"I couldn't continue spending about 3,000 baht on petrol each week. It was horrendous!" he said. "Since switching to natural gas I pay about 900 baht a week. Although the cost of the necessary modification is high, I think the investment is worth it in the long run."
In the current situation, with the price of oil soaring and some experts predicting it could reach $60 (2,380 baht) per barrel, and incomes unchanged, motorists have few options for saving money. But switching to alternative fuels is one of them.
Chavalit Pichalai, director of the Energy System Analysis Bureau at the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) said that turning to alternative fuels means more than savings made by individuals. It also means better air quality, fewer health risks, a boost to agriculture and huge national savings.
"We are at the point of no return. Wishful thinking won't bring the price of oil down. Alternative fuels are here now, and will be the main players in the future," said Chavalit, citing the government's plan to increase the use of alternative fuels from the current 0.5 percent to eight percent of all commercial fuel usage within the next seven years.
The EPPO and other energy-related agencies are coming up with ways to make cost-effective, locally produced alternative and renewable fuels possible. The so-called "soft energy" obtained from the sun, wind, biomass and domestic refuse recycling are among the potential solutions.
Right now, as part of government policy, gasohol is available and becoming more popular. Currently, Banchak, PTT and Shell are offering gasohol at 700 petrol stations, mainly in Bangkok, and by the end of this year the fuel should be available at over 4,000 stations. Ultimately, gasohol is planned to replace Benzene 95 petrol within three years.

GASOHOL
The price difference of 1.50 baht per litre is a major incentive for motorists to switch to gasohol. But many motorists have only a vague idea about this cleaner alternative to petrol and are uncertain whether or not it will compromise their car's engine and performance.
According to a gasohol expert from the PTT Research and Technology Institute, gasohol is still largely made up of petrol. It is a mixture of 90 percent petrol and 10 percent crop-derived ethanol (ethyl alcohol) _ 99.5 percent pure alcohol, by volume, made from cassava and sugarcane molasses.
"Even better, ethanol helps a car's engine to burn fuel more completely and slowly, resulting in smoother engine running," said the PTT alternative fuel expert.
The Thai Automotive Industry Association and many car manufacturers assure consumers that most cars produced since 1995, and with fuel injection systems rather than a normally-aspirated carburettor, can run safely on gasohol (with 10 percent ethanol) without requiring any adjustment or modification to the engine. However, there are some exceptions, and car owners are recommended to check with manufacturers. Cars with carburettors, normally those made before 1995, are not suitable for running on gasohol, though.
"With older cars, engine modification has not yet proved safe or effective. It's likely that owners may need to change to cars that can run on gasohol or opt for natural gas," suggested Chavalit.
Ethanol is not new to car manufacturers in Japan, Europe and North America. Canada and Brazil have used gasohol for over 25 years. Brazil in particular, has developed cars that can use up to a 20 percent mixture of ethanol, and gasohol was available in the US in the 1930s.
As for Thailand, Chavalit said the government plans to launch a tax incentive scheme to persuade car companies to produce cars that can run on gasohol with more than 10 percent ethanol.
"The higher the percentage of ethanol used, the more the country saves on imported crude oil," said Chavalit.
Thailand imports 90 percent of its crude oil for domestic consumption, of which 60 percent is used by the transportation sector. A major cut here will help national savings and also save at least three billion baht on the import of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), an octane-boosting additive that started to replace lead in petrol about 10 years ago.
To promote gasohol use, the government aims to keep the price of gasohol below that of Benzene 95 petrol by about 70 satang to one baht per litre.
CONCERNS ON POTENTIAL RISKS OF GASOHOL
However, Dr Kanit Wattanavichien, head of the Internal Combustion Engine Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, is concerned by potential problems caused by using gasohol.
"The guarantees are so vague," he said. "You can't guarantee [a car for use with gasohol] just by the year of manufacture as many consumers may have repaired their cars or changed parts, which may not be original parts and thus cannot sustain contact with alcohol. This can cause mechanical problems and who is going to be responsible for that?" he said. "Cars can run with gasohol, but they need specially-designed parts to support the fuel."
According to him all parts that come into contact with ethanol _ such as fuel filters, pipes, the fuel tank and the fuel injection system _ should be suitable for use with gasohol, otherwise, there may be problems such as rust, perishing rubber parts or clogging of the fuel injection system, reducing the car's performance.
"Very few talk about the potential long term affects. Each car manufacturer should come out to guarantee auto parts for use with gasohol and set standards for these parts to ensure quality and safety for consumers' cars," he said. "Manufacturers should also be ready to take responsibility if motorists report adverse effects caused by the use of gasohol," he suggested.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH CONCERNS
If auto parts are qualified for use with ethanol _ a "clean" fuel _ then its use will produce less air pollution than petrol, making it more environmentally friendly and less of a health risk.
Ethanol, made by fermenting agricultural produce, often cassava and sugar cane, is used to replace the octane-boosting additive MTBE. Although environmentally better than lead, the US Environmental Protection Agency has classified MTBE as a "possible human carcinogen". Laboratory animals, exposed to high concentrations of MTBE have been shown to develop lymphomas and leukaemias, as well as cancers of the kidney, liver, testicles and uterus. However, no conclusive studies have been made on its effects in humans.
MTBE, when evaporated, can contaminate the environment _ the atmosphere, groundwater and soil. Fortunately, a study by PhD candidate Charoensri Keepra-sertsaab from the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment has not yet found MTBE contamination at a dangerous level in Bangkok, despite it being used in petrol for over 10 years.
In addition to the lack of MTBE, gasohol also helps reduce hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions.
"Complete combustion [of gasohol] reduces carbon monoxide emissions by up to 30 percent ... therefore the air is less polluted," said an oil expert from PTT.
Generally, petrol-fuelled vehicles, when running, produce carbon monoxide _ a hazardous, colourless and odourless gas _ as a result of incomplete combustion. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause flu-like symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath and dizziness, and in a confined space ultimately leads to death.
The use of gasohol can also help reduce greenhouse effects, said the PTT's gasohol expert.
"The production of benzene produces carbon dioxide, known to cause global warming. But the production of ethanol from agricultural produce does not emit such gas into the air. So if we reduce the production of oil by 10 percent [to be replaced by ethanol], it means we help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent," he explained.
AGRICULTURAL BOOST
Opting for alternative fuels is also a boon to our farmers.
"Thailand may not be a land of fossil fuels but our strength is in the fertility of our soil and in our skilled farmers. We still have plenty of vegetation that we can turn into alternative energy sources," said Chavalit.
Cassava and sugarcane are the major raw materials used to produce ethanol, while palms can be used to produce an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective bio-diesel.
"A rising demand for these crops will help stabilise prices and guarantee farmers' incomes and work," said Chavalit.
However, many doubt whether the crop supply, which relies heavily on the climate, will be sufficient to supply the steady and growing demand.
"As of now, there is no worry about that. We have quite a stock," he said. Ethanol stocks are enough to fuel future plans for producing three million litres of gasohol a day in two years.
"But we have to be cautious too. Take the current drought situation for example _ our poor irrigation system could lead to a major setback," cautioned Chavalit.
NGV
The popularity of natural gas may come second to gasohol. But it may be the bigger and brighter player in the near future. Why? NGV motorists say the gas is a big saver.
"On average, my car runs at 60 to 65 satang per kilometre. I used to go to Pattaya, about 230km, and it cost me about 130 baht," claimed Sombat, who is among 1,300 taxi drivers now on the NGV programme.
Taxis and buses are the first vehicles to be targeted by the government for conversion to NGVs, to help reduce the country's reliance on imported petrol. However, many private car owners are considering conversion to natural gas because the price is over 50 percent lower than petrol. Choke, for example, installed a natural gas tank in his Mercedes, and Nirut in his Grand Cherokee.
According to government policy, the price of natural gas will be pegged at 50 percent of retail diesel prices until 2006. The price will then increase to 55 percent of Benzene 91 in 2007, and to 65 percent of Benzene 91 from 2009 onwards.
Apart from its competitive pricing, this non-renewable fuel is considered environmentally friendly. Unlike liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the gas used mainly for cooking, natural gas is hard to ignite and emits less hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than other fossil fuels.
Natural gas comes mainly from the Gulf of Thailand and from Burma via the Yadana pipeline. A source in the PPT maintained that the supply should be sufficient to meet growing demand now and in the future.
LOOKING AHEAD FOR RENEWABLE FUELS

At present, the use of gasohol still relies largely on petrol supplies. Its price, although lower than regular petrol, still depends on oil and ethanol prices, which can fluctuate up and down _ but usually up. Energy experts from the Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment predict a worst-case scenario of oil prices reaching $60 (2,280 baht) per barrel. If that happens, the economy could come to a virtual standstill, they said.
However like petrol, natural gas is a form of fossil fuel and is thus non-renewable.
It is currently found in abundance in the Gulf of Thailand and in neighbouring countries like Burma. But the supply will inevitably run out in the future, and exploring for new sources raises many environmental issues.
Chavalit suggests that a sustainable solution to our energy needs is to rely on energy efficiency and sources of renewable energy, such as solar power, wind power, domestic refuse (which we have in abundance) and bio-mass.
"Now we are researching and experimenting with projects to make these renewable fuels commercially viable. But we still have technological limitations that make the cost per unit too high for consumers," he said.
As of now, consumers can help the country save energy by all means. And this will result not only in savings for themselves but for the country too, he added.